Phantasialand

26th October 2008

Having a second full day in Phantasialand made for a wonderful change to my usual frenetic scheduling; there were absolutely no rides on my must do list today; it was simply an opportunity to chill in the park, enjoying attractions at an utterly relaxed pace. Given that I'm not going to write a blow by blow account of the day; rather, I'm going to concentrate on the star attraction.

Quick Pass is the paid line jumping system in use in Phantasialand, and for the most part it is implemented in a non-discriminatory way; the small number of guests using the system access rides via the exit ramp, thereby having only a minimal effect on regular patrons. The exception to this is Black Mamba, where line jumpers are given a special entrance which leads directly to the front row. Ordinary guests can still queue for these seats, but they can find themselves waiting indefinitely if large numbers are using the quick pass system. This is not at all fair, and should be modified in some way to be more equitable. Be that as it may, we figured that the system was in place whether we liked it or not, and thus we might as well use it.

We managed several laps over the course of the day, the last of which came shortly before closing time. A brief spell of rain had lubricated the track to the point that the ride was significantly faster than it had been earlier, leaving all of us more than a little dizzy. There could be no better ending to a trip.